More Tiptoeing into Fun

Tomorrow night, we will come together with friends and family to usher in the holiday season. Israeli children won’t be spending a lot of time in school over the next few weeks, so I wanted to offer you some updates on great workshops that are appropriate for families with young children and grandparents.  I hope you enjoy!

Whether it’s cooking, ceramics or blacksmithing, getting together with family and friends to create food or art is a wonderful way to celebrate and create cherished memories.  Here are just a few ideas.

Maura Ruskin of Maura’s Studio for Pottery, offers great family-friendly ceramics workshops at her studio in the heart of Zichron Yaakov.  Her space is small,  so this is great for a family or couple’s activity. https://www.facebook.com/MauraPotteryZichron/. Her studio is just steps from the Aaronson House (NILI Museum) and great restaurants.  Without a lot of fuss, you can enjoy a wonderful day!

If you like working with glass, Kathleen Wasserman, founder of Quilted Art Glass, has created fused glass workshops in her Zichron Yaakov studio.  You can combine a workshop with a visit to the First Aliyah Museum and lunch for a delightful day. https://www.quiltedartglass.com/

And, if you want a truly Israeli experience, register for a tour at the Iza Pziza farm on Moshav Tasl Shachar not far from Modiin.  Children can pet the goats, and you can learn all about how cheese is made.  You can even register for a cheese-making workshop. The dairy café offers delicious food, and the site is a great option if you’re traveling with young children. https://www.izapzizadairy.com/info-for-english-speakers

How many of you have had an opportunity to work as a blacksmith?  Yosi Gur Arye will let you try your hand at his studio in Ofra. Forge iron and even take your handywork home with you.  If you want to offer your children a unique experience, this is a great option!  You can speak to Yosi directly at 052-8305801.  And, remember, your just minutes away from ancient Shilo which offers a variety of family activities during Sukkot.

By the way, if you are in the Negev, but still want to try a blacksmith experience, you can visit Habarzelia with English-speaking Amnon Grinshpan.  The workshop is held in a historic building on Kibbutz Ruhama.  Amnon’s workshops allow you to create basic items like bottle openers or hangers, but you get to experience the multi-step process involved in metal forging. www.habarzelia.com

Restaurants with a Sukkah

It’s always challenging finding restaurants that also offer a sukkah.  I want to make the search a little easier for you this year.  Here are a few restaurants that offer a sukkah.  It’s always best to make reservations, especially during the holidays!

Cafe Shalva (Mehadrin)- For those who don’t know, Shalva offers a myriad of services for people with special needs as well as their families.  They also happen to sport a wonderful dairy cafe that is staffed by some of their clients.  Shalva is easy to get to and there is often nearby parking as it’s not in the center of downtown.  It’s just a short drive from Pantry Packers so you can combine a mitzvah project with a delicious meal and have a wonderful day without a lot of hassle. https://www.shalva.org/shalva-national-center-2/

If you’re at the Jerusalem zoo or aquarium, nearby Cafe Tamara (Mehadrin) offers wonderful dairy food in the Technology Park complex. cafetamara.co.il

Alaesh Grill in Modiin, run by the people who owned Pichonka, is a great grill restaurant for all of you meat eaters.

The original Jem’s Factory in Petach Tikva ;also has a sukkah.  What a great opportunity to relax with friends during chol hamoed! https://www.jems.co.il/branches/petach-tikva/

in the Tel Aviv Station Complex will have a sukkah this year.  The food is delicious and, you can pair your meal with a little shopping therapy in the adjoining Neve Tzedek neighborhood.

We have to work at having fun this year.  It’s not coming to us naturally.  But hopefully, theses suggestions will inspire you to create some wonderful vacation days with you and your family.  Next week’s installment will include information about specific chol hamoed events.

I want to wish all of you a shanah tova, and may we all know peace in the coming days and year.